Lizzy Poppyseed - Stone Ground Review
After performing with many bands, northeast Iowa native and singer/songwriter Lizzy Poppyseed put out her debut record Stone Ground this past October. Nova Labs, a local record label located in Ames, Iowa, states that Lizzy’s voice is “In the league of Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes” and that her work “tackles religion, death, living in Iowa, and more, in the vein of Springsteen (but with a tongue more firmly planted in cheek).” After a listen, you may agree that Poppyseed’s work has all the raw emotion, honesty and tenderness that blues, Americana, soul and alt-country are often known for.
“Born Again” starts things off with a classic, bluesy sound, something like the Black Crowes meets American southern rock and soul from the ‘70s. “I Don’t Hold Hands to Pray” reminds me of a Carole King song, when she wrote catchy do-wop songs for Motown acts, before her masterpiece album Tapestry. Although, Poppyseed doesn’t sound like King, the spirit and soul of this famed ‘60s genre style was there. I was blown away by her vocals and piano on “Road Merlot” – I mean, she really belts this tune out with all her heart and soul and she makes you feel it.
“StratUsphere” has a straight up funky rock rhythm on drums and guitar, while Poppyseed lays down the main melody on piano. I liked how “Flyover” featured fresh arrangements and change ups. The piano work Poppyseed does on this tune sounded incredibly difficult, because not only does she maintain the melody, but she plays the piano rhythmically, timing her fingers and pairing them with the lyrics. The bass guitar and solo guitar work were also excellent and brought more layers to this dynamic piece. “Wadena (By Way of LaCrosse)” starts off with just piano and vocal and the tempo slowed down. This number clearly makes its mark as the album’s ballad.
“Family Plot” is a shorter tune and its style is very much like a gospel country tune, but not with those happy God-fearing “I’m heaven bound” lyrics of old. Poppyseed’s songwriting on traditional religious beliefs, or lack thereof, are her own, and she belts them out with no regrets. “Jasmine Rose Woman” is another great, soulful tune filled with some very sensual lyrics. She gets low and sultry on vocals and piano, and I swear at times channels the spirit and style of Nina Simone.
Overall, I enjoyed Stone Ground and I thought Poppyseed wrote great fresh takes on the blues, soul, alt-county and Americana folk genres. Her voice has a pureness about it that is perfect for these music styles and I suspect that voice will be around to sing even more.
(Text copied from Divide and Conquer Music. Direct Link to review: https://www.divideandconquermusic.com/indie-music-album-reviews/lizzy-poppyseed-stone-ground?fbclid=IwAR0SET8_n7jgN1zuyhlvDumv4Uxa2yZKgi72IqX2f5T3tW1pcxBfhujeKCo)